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ARTHUR PIMM, OF SOUTHSEA,

PAVING FATTN'T Ormea.

COUNTY HANTS, ENGLAND.

-BLOCK- SPECKFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 340,153, dated April 20, 1886.

Application filed August 11, 1885. Serial No. 174,135. (No model.) Patented in England October 6, 1884, No.1ll-213.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that LARTHUR PIMM, a subject ofthe Queen of Great Britain, of Southsea, in the county of Hauts, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Paving-Blocks, (the same having been patented in Great Britain October 6, 1884, No. 13,2135) and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and the letters of reference thereon,

which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to ordinary roads used by vehicles of different kinds, andthe objects of my improvements are to provide a hard, smooth, and solid pavement or floor for the passage of such vehicles; to reduce the traetional resistance; to provide for the easy renewal and repair of the surface, and to keep the pavement always well drainedand dry on the surface. I attain these objects by the means illustrated'in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan of one of the separate blocks of which the pavement is composed. Fig. 2 is an end view of the block, and Fig. 7 an end view of the same block having an octagonal instead of a circular passage through it, Fig. 2 is an end view of a block similar to Fig. 2, but having spaces left in its corners for the purpose of lightening it, and Fig. 2b is an end View of the same block having an octagonal'instead of a circular passage through it. Figs. 3, 4, 5 are end views of similar blocks applied to tramways. Fig. 8 shows a larger block having several parallel drainagepassages through it.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several gures.

The improved pavement consists of a suffiA cient number of hollow blocks of metal, artificial stone, cement, or other sufficiently strong material of any convenient length, preferably rectangular in cross-section, so that they can be readily reversed when desired, andV having longitudinal passages completely through them from end to end, so that when they are laid together, sideby side, upon a concrete or other bed prepared for them, and are fastened together in the manner hereinafter described,

their upper face forms a-strong, hard, smooth, and durable surface, which may be laid so as to cover the whole width of the road, or so as to form wheel-tracks only at certain distances apart, the pavement being permeated by the continuous channels through the blocks, into which all rain or other surfacewater at once drains through the slots or openings a through the sides of the blocks. In the ends of the blocks are made holes b, into which fit dowelpins which keep the ends of the Ablocks in proper position opposite to each other. These dowel-pins may either be round to t the blocks shown in Figs. 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, and 8, or triangular in section, as shown in Fig. 6, to fit the corner passages in the blocks shown in Figs. 2, 2', and 7. The tops and sides of the blocks may be roughened or corrugated in any desired Way, as shown in Fig. 1, and as the top sides of the blocks wear away they can be turned the whole of the four sides have so been utilized, and in this way great economy is effected.

In the block shown in Fig. 3 the passage through it is divided by a centralpartition, c, for its full length, recesses or grooves being formed along the top and bottom of the block at d and e to receive the flanges of the wheels of tialncars. This form of block is only once reversible, and its sides, not being exposed to wear,may be made thinnerand lighter than the top and bottom. Fig. 4 is a similar block, but having grooves cl d at the edges instead of the center, the central partition, c, Fig. 3, being omitted. Fig. 5 is a similar block, but,instead of grooves, it is provided with narrow railse e at its edges, serving as guides -for ordinary uniianged wheels running upon the b1ock5or the flanges e e may be made wide enough for the :hanged wheels of tram-cars to run upon.

Fig. 8 shows a solid block containing a number of parallelpassages through it, with which the openings or slots a a communicate.

Pavement consisting of a number of such blocks is readily and quickly laid, and the blocks may be held together laterally by bolts or clips passed through the slots ff in adjoining blocks when the pavement is laid, as well as by dowel pins in the holes b b b at each end. The separate blocks shown in the other figures may also be held together in a similar Way.

round and a different face used until,in the case of the blocks shown in Figs. 1, 2, 2, 2", and 7,

IOO

Where Ythe road is Wto be 'used for heavy traffic, wheel-tracks at the proper distance apart may be laid of the single blocks shown, the remainder of the road'being formed of less strength and cost of compound blocks, such as that shown in Fig. 8, or of Wood or other ordinary paving material.

Instead of the improved pavement being made wholly of metal or of artificial stone, cement,or other material,as already described, it may be made partly of one and partly of the other material, iron or steel being preferably used Where the greatest strength is required, and the Wearingfaces may be chilled or casehardened.

The improved tubular pavement is laid on any suitable foundation, and,as the drain-pipes or channels which it contains carry olf rain or other water at once, the road does not require to be made as convex in transverse section as is usually the case, but may be nearly or quite level from side to side.

The drain-pipes may be arranged either longitudinally or transversely on theroad, with channels or receptacles at intervals,into which they discharge.

The holes a at the bottom of the pavement are preferably stopped or plugged before the pavement is laid.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

A pavement consisting of tiles held together by dowel-pins and recesses, and provided in their tops with slots independent of said recesses7 said tiles having internal passages with 

